Income statement letters from embassies no longer required, confirms Phuket Immigration

[StevieAus]

6 minutes ago, possum1931 said:

I did not say it did, and watch what you are saying about "my ilk". I was only giving an example of how things can change in this country.

Your response confirms my original thoughts.

Try to enjoy life and not worry about what could happen, life is too short.

[jacko45k]

5 hours ago, jessebkk1 said:

 

  I have houses, lands, cars, digital assets and companies valued at over 10 million US Dollars, however at this very second today I have less than 100k Baht in the Bank in total cash. You see how evaluation works?

 

 This issue with income letters has hit a section of the economy really bad, most of the foreigners affected are going to put big expenses on hold so they can prove the 800k in bank, so cars/houses/land etc sales will face a steep decline - hurting the already struggling local economy.

 

 I think for this income letter fiasco to have been made regardless how bad it will hurt the local economy reeks of desperation for foreign cash sitting in thai banks or really a bad judgement by the immigration, policy makers.

 

  As we speak, the thai government is embarking on construction of massive projects (for example BTS trains) that the don't the funds to complete and even when completed will generate very little income as most thais cant afford to use them.

 

 

Firstly my post was in relation to just 800k being deposited, not all the incidentals you mention. Also people with this type of investments , companies etc should not be on retirement extensions but have work permits. And the final assumption that Thais cannot afford the BTS is ludicrous, can't get on the damned trains because of Thais using them! How many 800ks will this little fiasco create, 50,000 perhaps, and you feel this amount the Thai economy is desperate for, so much so it is prepared to drive a  number of non-working retirees away. 

 

Foreign investment in Thailand was over 7.5 Billion $US in 2017, about 400,000 retirees 800k.

[tropo]

17 hours ago, Mark1066 said:

Yes, it’s crazy that so many people feel hard done by. Our embassies have basically told Thai Immigration to take a hike, and rightly so in my opinion.

No, they have basically told the expats who relied on the income letters to take a hike.

[jacko45k]

3 minutes ago, tropo said:

No, they have basically told the expats who relied on the income letters to take a hike.

Thai immigration requested the Embassies to actually verify the income being declared or sworn to back in May. So far 4 have declared they are unable to do this and have withdrawn the service. Had they carried on as before, I suspect Thai immigration would have taken the matter further. 

 

[JLCrab]

6 hours ago, jessebkk1 said:

I have houses, lands, cars, digital assets 

Wow are you suggesting they should evaluate monthly income for extension of stay based upon BitCoins?

[Toosetinmyways]

Just think if Thai immigration had just said.

" As of the first of January 2019 the only method of obtaining an extension of stay will be 800000 baht for retirement or 400000 baht for Marriage deposited for three months in a Thai bank."

Then there would be no ambiguity.

[Mark1066]

5 hours ago, alex8912 said:

If it hasn’t been said already tell us your country and there will be many stories of theft from accounts and some banks not being particularly helpful. Also your use of the phrase “ theft from Thai bank accounts is not an uncommon event” should include the TRUTH. First of all it is far from being common because it would be on this forum every single day if it was. Second when it had happened about 99% of the time it’s the guys wife , girlfriend or some family member!!! Got it now?

My country is the United Kingdom. When money was fraudulently withdrawn from an ATM in Thailand from my UK bank account, my bank refunded it without any fuss. They certainly never suggested that it was my personal responsibility to track down the thief and bring them to justice. Search online yourself - many cases involve bank employees and ATM fraud, not relatives. And if you wish to have a civilised discussion, don’t take that patronising tone with me.

 

And why should it be announced “on this forum every single day” if it’s a common occurrence? Many of the cases involve Thai acccount holders, not foreigners.

Edited November 23, 2018 by Mark1066

[JTXR]

20 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

The only thing coming from immigration I will pay attention to is when it comes from the Immigration Bureau not some head of a local office.

It is certainly lacking any useful information in IMO.

Exactly.   And all reports posted on TV of conversations with local immigration officers, including chiefs, is just pointless grist for the the non-stop rumor mill.

[onera1961]

36 minutes ago, JLCrab said:

Wow are you suggesting they should evaluate monthly income for extension of stay based upon BitCoins?

Isn't there is an easy path of 10 million investment for visa? The Poster said he had invested 10 mil USD and that amounts to 300 mil baht. He should be given the investment visa, I think

[JLCrab]

12 minutes ago, onera1961 said:

Isn't there is an easy path of 10 million investment for visa? The Poster said he had invested 10 mil USD and that amounts to 300 mil baht. He should be given the investment visa, I think

Sure it's 10 million invested in Thailand but I don't think cars, real estate, company ownerships, and Bitcoins ex-Thailand count toward the 10 million baht.

[marcusarelus]

34 minutes ago, Mark1066 said:

My country is the United Kingdom. When money was fraudulently withdrawn from an ATM in Thailand from my UK bank account, my bank refunded it without any fuss. They certainly never suggested that it was my personal responsibility to track down the thief and bring them to justice. Search online yourself - many cases involve bank employees and ATM fraud, not relatives. And if you wish to have a civilised discussion, don’t take that patronising tone with me.

 

And why should it be announced “on this forum every single day” if it’s a common occurrence? Many of the cases involve Thai account holders, not foreigners.

Every negative thing that happens in Thailand regardless of how small or obscure is discussed on this forum daily.  

[Yewbzee]

8 hours ago, CMNightRider said:

It will be interesting to see how this all plays out.  No foreigner in their right mind would put 800,000 baht in a Thai bank just to obtain a one year visa.  Someone must have bumped their head when they came up with this idea.

 

You speak about 800,000 like its a lottery jackpot. How much do you think the average falang needs for living expenses in one year? That isn't a lot of money especially if you have a family here. I wish I could get by on only 800k per year and I'm no big spender to be honest.

Edited November 23, 2018 by Yewbzee
Spelling

[onera1961]

2 hours ago, jacko45k said:

As we speak, the thai government is embarking on construction of massive projects (for example BTS trains)

I thought BTS was a private company and entirely funded by private enterprises. Other projects like high speed trains are Government. BTS is overloaded compared to what I saw in 2011. Now even during non-peak hour in OnNut station, it is difficult to find a seating place from trains coming from Bearing. 

[garyk]

9 hours ago, CMNightRider said:

It will be interesting to see how this all plays out.  No foreigner in their right mind would put 800,000 baht in a Thai bank just to obtain a one year visa.  Someone must have bumped their head when they came up with this idea.

 

Yea, I agree 100%. Most countries that actually want you there. Have a simple rule. Show the minimum net income coming into your account they require, and you are set to go.

Edited November 23, 2018 by garyk

[jimn]

4 hours ago, Retiredandhappyhere said:

In order to issue income letters, the British Embassy ALWAYS required applicants to provide three months recent documents, such as pension advices, rental statements, dividend vouchers etc. to support the applicants' total income as shown in the letter.  Now, it appears that Thai Immigration are in fact suggesting that they do not trust these Embassies to do this properly and are asking them to even check that the documents presented are genuine.  This can only be done by the Embassy doing a lot more work by contacting the applicant's income sources, wherever they happen to be and clearly they are unable to do this.

 

Perhaps it is because the Thai authorities themselves are so corrupt that they assume all countries' Embassies are too, which is a real insult.  Thai Immigration are so inept that, despite all the controversy on this subject, and the distress it is clearly causing to many ex-pats, they cannot come up with clear instructions as to the way forward.  Many ex-pats currently believe that 800,000 in a Thai bank account is the only possible solution, but until Thai Immigration actually do their job properly and issue new instructions as to the exact  way in which ex-pats can prove an income of 800,000 per annum, either specifically with a minimum of 65000 per month paid into a Thai bank account, OR on average  ( say 40000 one month and 100000 the next and so on, totalling at least 800,000 for the year,) people will be in a state of limbo and not know how to proceed.

 

It is no good having each office coming up with its own solution.  We need a specific statement from Thai Immigration which is clear and concise and applicable to ALL OFFICES.  All the uncertainty in the past about Visas, Extensions, P30's and P28's and now on proof of income is totally unacceptable and Thai Immigration should be ashamed of themselves in the manner in which they treat visitors to this country and ex-pats in particular, not to mention the ridiculous 90 day reports, which should be replaced by a requirement to notify any permanent CHANGE of address within (say) 48 hours , under penalty of a fine of (perhaps) 5000 bahts.  Surely this would achieve the required objective without all the work by Immigration and the hassle to ex-pats.  It would help of course if the "on-line" 90 day reporting, introduced nearly three years ago, actually worked.

 

I changed over to the 800,000 in a Thai bank account a couple of years ago and I am now so glad that I did so, but I feel for those expats who are going through all the recent turmoil, without their Embassy or Thai Immigration offering much help.

If those documents were needed to prove the 65,000 then thats what you had to produce. I produced a simple one page copy of my P60, most times thats all that is needed.

On another subject you quoted P28's and P30's in Thailand, what are those lol?

[jacko45k]

6 minutes ago, onera1961 said:

I thought BTS was a private company and entirely funded by private enterprises. Other projects like high speed trains are Government. BTS is overloaded compared to what I saw in 2011. Now even during non-peak hour in OnNut station, it is difficult to find a seating place from trains coming from Bearing. 

I did not write what you quoted!

[MekkOne]

4 hours ago, dick dasterdly said:

Somehow I knew you would...

 

But can we get back on topic re. Phuket Immigration's statement that says nothing other than the obvious....

 

800k in Thai bank for 3 months - no mention of the requirements for those using the income route.

I was never off topic... and one of the first things I said was that if the only solution is to put the money in the bank you put the money in the bank as the law requires you to do. Or you can have 2 options: one is leave the country, the second is to go and protest in front of the Thai parliament to have the law changed... There is not much way around it if you are so sure that your bank statement won't be enough to go down 'the income route' but I'm sure that for somebody it apparently worked.

[onera1961]

12 minutes ago, MekkOne said:

Or you can have 2 options: one is leave the country, the second is to go and protest in front of the Thai parliament to have the law changed...

Another option is to pay an agent to take care of everything while you sip pina colada on the beach. ????

[kiteman9]

I received my retirement visa extension in Nakhon Phanhom by showing them my bank book from the bank of Bangkok with regular deposits during the year of more than the required amount. What's all the fuss is about people complaining about having to put 800 thousand baht in their accounts?

 

[Jingthing]

Just now, kiteman9 said:

I received my retirement visa extension in Nakhon Phanhom by showing them my bank book from the bank of Bangkok with regular deposits during the year of more than the required amount. What's all the fuss is about people complaining about having to put 800 thousand baht in their accounts?

 

You had the embassy letter, right?

[marcusarelus]

12 minutes ago, onera1961 said:

Another option is to pay an agent to take care of everything while you sip pina colada on the beach. ????

I believe that option is finished at many Immigration offices as they have transferred or fired all of the staff that used agents has anyone seen all new faces at Phuket yet?

[marcusarelus]

1 minute ago, kiteman9 said:

I received my retirement visa extension in Nakhon Phanhom by showing them my bank book from the bank of Bangkok with regular deposits during the year of more than the required amount. What's all the fuss is about people complaining about having to put 800 thousand baht in their accounts?

How much (total) did you have in the bank book for the last three months before the extension was granted?

[kiteman9]

$6700

 

[KiChakayan]

46 minutes ago, garyk said:

Yea, I agree 100%. Most countries that actually want you there. Have a simple rule. Show the minimum net income coming into your account they require, and you are set to go.

That's utterly wrong. Look at the Malaysian M2H program and you'll see that they are a lot more demanding than TI.

[Russell17au]

6 hours ago, merijn said:

Where in what circumstances did that happen?

I'm interested to know as i the 30+ years living and travelling in Thailand i never has this happened to me.

I have a shrunk color laminated copy of my passport and visa/re-entry page in my wallet but never used it.

The first time was when I was returning from Yang Talat to Khon Kaen at a normal police check point just before the entrance to the eastern ring road at Khon Kaen and the second time was near Korat on highway 2 northbound returning from Bangkok to Khon Kaen at a normal police check point. I showed my Thai license and my vehicle blue book as normal and it was after they looked at my license and vehicle blue book that they asked for my passport.

[MekkOne]

2 minutes ago, Russell17au said:

and it was after they looked at my license and vehicle blue book that they asked for my passport.

They were expecting the purple note (1 per officer)...

[marcusarelus]

5 minutes ago, kiteman9 said:

$6700

 

With no letter from the embassy only your bank book?

[Jingthing]

6 minutes ago, KiChakayan said:

That's utterly wrong. Look at the Malaysian M2H program and you'll see that they are a lot more demanding than TI.

That program is indeed, so people should be very careful what they wish for as far as Thai immigration policy changes. I reckon if Thailand had Malaysia's specific requirements it would easily weed out at least 95 percent of Thailand's foreign retirees. 

[kiteman9]

I had the letter.

 

[Jingthing]

2 minutes ago, kiteman9 said:

I had the letter.

 

Of course you did. Which makes your report totally irrelevant to the place we're going to -- income based applications without letters. Will they be even be possible at all?